Water birdie from Mickelson

One of the more outrageous birdies of his career – and there have been an awful lot of them – propelled Phil Mickelson into the lead in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond today.

The world number three, chasing his first solo victory on European soil since 1993 and the perfect boost leading into the British Open at Carnoustie, resumed one behind France’s Gregory Havret and Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara and that gap looked set to grow when he hit his approach to the 518-yard third into the edge of the pond right of the green.